Chapter 22
Frowning, Ragav stops drying his hair, focusing his attention on the sound coming through the door. Propping the towel on his shoulders he rushes out, thinking, "Kalpi!" Instead he calls out in surprise, "Pakhi, what are you doing here?"
Pakhi glares at him stonily and attacks, "why did you offer Kalpi the guest room?" Taken aback by the attack, Ragav just stares back silently, no intention to answer. Pakhi continues, "you know she is still crying. I brought her here so that you could stop her from crying... and how are you supposed to do it when you are in separate rooms."
His heart goes out to Kalpi when he hears that she is crying, regretting his behavior, he thinks, "damn I made her cry... I have been such a jerk."
His attention goes to Pakhi's arm, staring the supposed bandaged wound, he folds his arms across his chest and asks, "what happened to your bandage... your wound." Stopping in the midst of her tirade, Pakhi glances at her arm, gives Ragav a comical look and says in a panic, "shit, we gotta find it before Kalpi. Damn. She is going to kill me."
Holding her arm to stop her, Ragav asks, "what's going on?... You lied." Exasperated, Pakhi replies, "duh! of course I lied... it was all fake... with all the security measures Prem installed, like a burglar could enter the house! Now hurry. Help me."
He stands there watching Pakhi run out of him room, his expression changing from disbelief to admiration to happiness, chuckling he joins Pakhi in the search for the missing bandage. Seeing Pakhi stand several feet away from his room, he whispers, "what's wrong? why the long look?" Sighing, she holds up the bandage, looks at him and whispers sulkily, "it's ruined."
Ragav turns towards the closed guest room door, wishing he could find a way to make Kalpi stay. Thinking on his feet, he looks back at Pakhi and whispers, "come let us bandage you up again."
Jumping up on to the kitchen counter, wriggling her bum to sit comfortably while Ragav gets the first aid kit, pakhi ask, "do you have red food coloring?" Ragav raises his eye brow questioningly, his expression clearly saying, "This is a bachelor pad. Do you think I would have food coloring?" "No," pakhi replies, reading his expression accurately, continuing, "duh of course not. What am u thinking!" Pausing to think, she then says, "ketchup! We could use ketchup." Ragav looks at her skeptically, wisely says nothing instead hands her the ketchup bottle, thinking, "what the hell have I got into. This is so not me."
Pakhi smiles as she watches Ragav bandage her arm, unable to resist, says lightly, "I like this." Ragav looks at her, confused. Refocuses his attention on bandaging her arm. Pakhi continues, "you have always been so staid. So serious. I can't believe you agreed to be a part of this. I like this new you. I guess I should thank Kalpi for this change."
Before ragav can reply, kalpi walks in, asking, "what's going on?" Ragav freezes, his expression that of a child who was caught with his fingers in the cookie jar, thinking, "damn. We have been caught." Pakhi smiles with ease, laughingly, says melodramatically as she raises the hand Ragav just bandaged, "my bandage came off." With her other hand sneakily hiding the ketchup bottle, placing it behind her. Kalpi frowns, concerned, says, "why didn't you tell me?" Pakhi shrugs, replies, "would have, but Ragav was kind enough to volunteer."
Taking a step towards Pakhi, kalpi hesitates when her gaze meets ragav's. Concious, feeling uncomfortable, she says, "okay. Goodnight" and retreats back to the guest room.
Sighing deeply, Ragav watches kalpi walk away. Watching him, watch kalpi with longing, pakhi says with a smirk, "I get her to move into your room if you want." Ragav turns towards her, staring in disbelief. Chuckling, pakhi says, "you don't believe me..." Ragav interrupts, croaks, "how?"
Jumping off the kitchen counter, pakhi busies herself by inspecting her fake wound, ensuring the bandage is firm, looks at Ragav with laughing eyes, asks, "what do I get?" Holding his breath with enticipation, Ragav replies, in a rushed voice, "whatever you want", then takes a deep breath, waiting anxiously for pakhi to respond.
He stares at her in disbelief as she goes about setting things in motion. Shaking his head, he thinks, "thank God she is on my side." Hanging up the phone, pakhi smiles excitedly, saying, "all set. Now let us discuss what you have to do."
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Ragav taps kalpi lightly on the shoulder, whispering, "wake up... Kalpi wake up." Confused over the disturbance, kalpi wakes up and looks around... Her gaze meeting Ragav's. Startled, she whispers in a hushed tone, "what are you doing here?" "Shhh, you will wake pakhi," Ragav replies. Nodding towards the door, Ragav walks towards it, confident that kalpi will follow.
Kalpi watches Ragav head for the door, folding her arms at her waist, she thinks, "I don't care why he came. I am not following." Seconds later, restless, she huffs as she gets out of the bed, thinking, "damn him."
Closing the door behind her softly, she says sulkily u, "what?" Seeing her annoyed gaze, Ragav wonders whether he should go ahead with the plan. Before the doubts can linger, he says, "the concierge called. Mum is on the her way up." Folding her arms, kalpi retorts, "so?" Not expecting such a response, unsure, he adds softly, "I thought you might not want mum to know that we are sleeping separately." The door bell rings. Giving him a, I don't care look, she goes to open the door. Ragav follows slowly.
Opening the door, seeing the worried expression on Ragav's mum's face, kalpi exclaims, "mummyjee is everything okay? It's..." Realising she doesn't know the time, she looks to Ragav, who replies, "half six." Turning back to her mother in law continues, "in the morning."
Gauri pulls kalpi into a hug, feigning worry, says, "I couldn't sleep." Winks at her son, who gives her a sheepish look, continues, "The nightmares kept hounding me." Breaking the hug, kalpi asks with concern, "what nightmares?" Ragav interrupts, "mum it was a long drive. You must be tired. Come in." Watching his wife and mother sit on the sofa, Ragav wonders what the hell he is doing.
Once comfortable, Gauri continues, "I get dreaming that you too were trying to kill each other." Holding Kalpi's hand in hers she continues, "I know that this marriage did not happen in the best of circumstances. I needed to reassure myself that..." Ragav interrupts, placing his hand on Kalpi's shoulder... Which in turn causes kalpi to turn towards him, with a frown... He smiles warmly, gazing at her lovingly as he gently squeezes her shoulder, saying, "mum there is nothing to worry about. We were just annoyed that the marriage was forced upon us." Kalpi stares at him, her heart skipping a beat as he ends, "we love each other."
Gauri exclaims with relief, "so I didn't need to worry about anything. Thank God." Seeing the relief in her eyes, kalpi gives her a reassuring smile. Gauri, suddenly yawns, exclaiming, "gosh I am tired." Kalpi quickly stands up and says, "give me a moment to make the guest room" and rushes towards the room. Stops mid way, turns back and says with a comical expression, "pakhi..."
Ragav interrupts, sits next to his mum, his arm around her shoulder, says, "hope you don't mind sharing a room with pakhi." Gauri fakes surprise, replies, "pakhi is here. Good. Good. Glad she is not alone at home." Turns to kalpi, with a sweet smile, says, "I don't mind sharing a room with my adorable niece."
Quickly making her side of the bed to hide the evidence that she slept there. Pakhi watches kalpi as she fakes sleep, burying her head into the pillow, smothering her laughter. Kalpi gives the room a once over before she heads out to call her mother in law.
Standing at the entrance of the guest room, Ragav and kalpi watch Gauri settle in, waiting, just on case she needed something. Clearing her throat, she replies, "you are right. It wouldn't do for mum to know" turns and walks towards his room.
Edited by angelpureness - 9 years ago
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